Her Last Breath

by Tracy Buchanan

  Mr Tate sighed. ‘Yes, Max has always had an issue with his temper.’

  ‘What do you mean?’ Estelle asked, thinking of what Darren had told her.

  ‘We were in the same year at school,’ he said. ‘He was always quick to get angry, got himself into fights. I knew to steer clear of him.’

  ‘That isn’t the Max I remember,’ Estelle said with a sigh.

  ‘Maybe you just choose to remember him a certain way.’

  ‘You might have something there.’ She peered out towards the cottages. ‘I think he might have hurt Alice before she died.’

  Mr Tate frowned. ‘Really?’

  Estelle nodded. ‘When she confronted him about the cliff erosion.’

  He looked mortified. ‘I suppose I hoped that cliff erosion project I set would lead to more scrutiny of Max and Peter’s cover-ups. But I didn’t want anyone hurt.’

  Estelle remembered that project. She’d thought it was odd at the time, because he’d set it to both Estelle and Alice’s class, despite being in different years. After giving them a lesson about cliff weaknesses and landslide dangers, he’d instructed them all to go out locally to find evidence of it. Looking back, it was a clear flag from him that Lillysands was under threat. If his peers wouldn’t listen to him, then maybe they’d listen to their clever children – especially Alice who was always so convincing.

  ‘So that was the reason you were so passionate about that assignment,’ Estelle said now.

  He nodded sadly. ‘Only Alice really ran with it. Such a bright girl! I’m not suggesting you aren’t,’ he quickly added.

  ‘No, no, it’s fine! I know Alice was particularly clever, we all saw it.’

  Mr Tate went quiet for a bit. ‘Do you think that’s why she took her life? Because of something Max did?’

  Estelle leaned forward, looking in her old teacher’s eyes. ‘If she took her own life.’

  ‘What do you mean by that?’

  ‘What if she was pushed?’

  His eyes widened. ‘Are you suggesting Max …?’

  Estelle thought about it. It sounded so dramatic out loud. But why not? There was proof he’d been violent. That he was self-centred and highly motivated. And proof that Alice had uncovered something. ‘Maybe,’ she admitted.

  Mr Tate shook his head. ‘I can’t see that, I really can’t. Sure he has a temper, but murder? What possible motivation could he have had?’

  ‘To keep Alice’s mouth shut about the cliff erosion?’

  Mr Tate looked down at his tea, brow puckered. ‘I can’t believe Max could be capable of that.’

  ‘I can’t believe it either. But Lillysands is a good place to cover things up.’

  Mr Tate’s eyes lifted to hers. ‘Like a pregnancy.’

  Estelle’s froze. ‘You know? Who else …’

  ‘Just a handful of us. I thought you were aware of that?’

  Estelle went very still.

  He closed his eyes. ‘Oh dear. I’ve put my foot in it, haven’t I?’

  ‘How long have you known?’

  ‘Autumn let it slip to Lorraine many years ago, probably during a particularly drunken night. Lorraine told a couple of her friends, then my wife Mary found out. She then told me.’

  Estelle shook her head, unable to believe it. ‘All this time, you all knew but didn’t say anything the past few days?’

  ‘I’m sorry, Stel, I didn’t think it was my place to mention it until you did. And with Darren being a big shot in town, I didn’t think he’d want it getting out either.’

  ‘Darren?’

  ‘Oh. I presumed he was the father, I know you had a thing.’

  Estelle shook her head. ‘He’s not the father. It – it’s Aiden.’

  Mr Tate’s eyes widened. ‘Aiden?’ he asked, disbelief in his voice.

  Estelle nodded, tears brimming. ‘You must think I’m disgusting,’ she said, repeating Max’s words to her. ‘He’s my foster brother.’

  ‘Disgusting? Don’t be silly, Estelle. You aren’t related, are you? You need to stop looking at yourself like this.’

  ‘Like what?’

  ‘Like you’re soiled in some way.’

  Estelle flinched. It reminded her of what one of her primary school teachers would say to her in front of the whole class when she used to wet herself … or worse. ‘Estelle has soiled herself again.’ Her mum would get a phone call and she’d drag Estelle home, shouting at her for being a dirty little girl.

  ‘I thought I was saved when I came to Lillysands,’ Estelle whispered. ‘But it’s all fake. At least when I lived with my parents, it was all laid out on the table. But here the filth lies beneath a glossy surface. All the lies and the fake smiles.’ She shook her head. ‘I’ve been sat talking to these people the past two days. No one said anything. Even Veronica and Peter pretended not to know when it was brought up earlier. They’re all so good at hiding the truth.’ She looked out into the darkness. ‘Maybe they’ve been doing the same with regard to Poppy’s whereabouts too?’

  ‘Poppy?’

  Estelle looked at her old teacher. ‘The daughter of the TV presenter who ran away? She’s my birth daughter.’

  Mr Tate blinked. ‘My God. That’s why you’re back?’

  Estelle nodded. ‘And I keep seeing her around Lillysands. I think she might have been kidnapped. That she’s being kept here by someone.’ She frowned. ‘But then I also thought I was seeing Alice.’

  He raised an eyebrow. ‘Alice?’

  ‘I know. Maybe I’m losing my mind.’

  ‘Your mind’s making associations – it’s a stressful time.’

  ‘Yes, there’s been a lot of stuff going on.’

  ‘You know you can talk to me, Estelle.’

  He was right, she could. Mr Tate was always the teacher pupils went to with any problems. And why should that change now? So she explained about the photos.

  ‘And you think someone from Lillysands is sending them?’ he asked.

  ‘Yes, I think so. Maybe even Max.’

  Mr Tate raised an eyebrow. ‘He is rather manipulative. I told him about the landslide risk years ago but he continued to rent those houses out to unsuspecting people. I even think he may have known before he started building the properties, but just ignored it, putting his monetary gain first.’

  ‘That’s what I suspect too.’

  But did she really believe Max could be behind the Polaroids and Poppy’s disappearance? Something just didn’t ring true about it. She put her hands to her head.

  ‘You okay?’ Mr Tate asked her.

  ‘All this speculating and worrying is giving me a headache.’

  He put his hand on her shoulder. ‘Then you should rest.’ He sighed, peering above him. ‘And so must I. I better head back up. You take care okay?’

  Estelle nodded. He was right – she needed rest. But as Mr Tate left the room, a shadow fell over her. Estelle looked up to see Alice’s brother, Connor, standing above her, his arms crossed, an angry look on his face.

  She tried to focus on the boy she used to know, swallowing her fear down. ‘Hi Connor.’

  ‘Saw you as I walked past.’ He gestured to the seat across from her. ‘Okay if I sit down?’

  ‘Sure.’ She tried to hide her discomfort. She had no idea why he was there but it still worried her.

  He sat down, his bulky frame filling the chair. As she looked at him, she couldn’t help but think of Alice. He had the same colour hair as hers, that deep silky red. And his eyes were the same shape, oval and large and staring right into hers.

  He raked his hand through his hair. ‘Been thinking a lot since you came to visit yesterday,’ he said. ‘Seemed like you were trying to figure out what happened to Alice before she died.’

  Estelle leaned towards him. ‘I was. I am.’

  He peered around him then leaned towards her too, lowering his voice. ‘She found some stuff out about Max Garland.’

  ‘About the landslides?’ Estelle asked.

 
‘Yeah, she tell you about it too then?’

  Estelle shook her head. ‘I only found out recently.’

  ‘So you know Max covered the landslide threat up so he could build those poncey houses of his?’

  ‘That’s right.’

  ‘Alice tried to confront him about it, even spoke to some other people around the town, councillors and the like. But no one would listen. So she went to a local journalist she found in the paper.’

  Estelle raised an eyebrow, then smiled. ‘Wow, she always was like a dog with a bone when she got something in her head.’

  Connor grinned slightly. It made his look less fierce, less angry. ‘Yeah, that was Alice for you. After she moved in with the Garlands and got all serious about school and stuff, I saw a change in her. She really started believing in making something of herself.’ The smile disappeared off his face. ‘She would’ve gone far if she hadn’t died, can tell you that for certain.’

  Estelle felt sadness sweep over her. He was right. She didn’t really see it back then, Alice’s potential. She knew she was clever, inquisitive. But that determination to succeed was very clear now.

  ‘Anyway,’ Connor said. ‘The journalist liked her story and started asking questions, digging around, according to what Alice told me.’ He frowned. ‘But then it all stopped.’

  ‘Stopped? Why?’

  Connor peered around him again, checking nobody was listening. ‘The journalist was fired. Alice thought it was mega weird as he’d got awards and stuff for his writing.’

  ‘So she thought Max had got him fired?’

  ‘Yeah, maybe.’

  ‘Do you remember the journalist’s name?’

  ‘Eddie Lazell. He drives taxis around here now.’

  ‘Maybe I should talk to him.’

  Connor nodded, face animated. ‘Yeah, do it! The taxi place is just down the road, on the left. He might be there, not like he’ll be busy tonight with the flooding and stuff.’ He clenched his fists. ‘It always played on my mind, that Max Garland and his rich buddy Peter Kemp could roll around here in their posh cars, all the time keeping the landslide stuff hidden. I thought about saying something myself, but who’d take a loser like me seriously?’

  ‘You’re not a loser, Connor. You clearly have some integrity, which is a lot more than most people here in Lillysands, as I’m beginning to discover.’

  His nostrils flared as he looked down at his large hands. ‘Yeah, well integrity gets you nowhere here, does it? I know what I am. It’s like my dad says, lazy good for nothing.’

  Estelle’s heart went out to him. Her dad would say the same about her sometimes. If she’d stayed with her parents, maybe she too would still be living at home with them, not fulfilling her potential. She leaned over, grabbing Connor’s hand. ‘Connor, look at me.’ He peered up at her. ‘What you’re doing now, coming to me with this information, that’s not nothing. Alice would be proud of you.’

  ‘Not written a book though, have I?’ he said, quirking an eyebrow. ‘You done all right for yourself. I think Alice would be proud of you.’

  Estelle moved her hand away, frowning. ‘I’m not so sure.’

  ‘You kidding? She loved you, Stel. Always went on about you.’ His brow knitted. ‘Made me jealous sometimes, how you got to see her all the time when I couldn’t. But then, back then, I could see she had a chance at a good life with the Garlands … that was until I knew the truth about Max anyway. Dad always treated her like shit.’ His jaw clenched. ‘I know why, too; Alice reminded him of Mum too much and Dad don’t like being reminded of her. So when Alice went to live in that big house, I was happy.’ His face darkened. ‘At first anyway. Then she goes and tops herself. Why would she do that?’

  Estelle followed his gaze towards where Alice had fallen from the cliff edge. ‘I don’t know,’ she whispered.

  ‘She was special, wasn’t she, Stel?’

  Estelle’s eyes filled with tears. ‘She was.’

  ‘Too special for this place,’ he said, watching people running through the rain. ‘A place that chews people up and spits them out if they don’t conform. Well,’ he said, standing up. ‘Better go or my girlfriend’ll think I’ve stood her up. Let me know what you find out, yeah?’

  ‘I will.’

  He gave her a quick nod then walked out of the hotel, head down as he stepped into the rain.

  Estelle thought about what he had said. If Max had somehow got the journalist fired, that suggested a worryingly sinister side to him, one she’d seen hints of over the past day or two. Was it a side that could be capable of playing games with Estelle? Of sending her unsettling notes?

  She needed to find out once and for all.

  After placing her bag in the room, she headed out into the rain, pulling her hood over her head. In the distance, the whites of the festival marquees stirred in the downpour. Her heart went out to Veronica. She just couldn’t see the festival going ahead if the weather continued like this.

  She headed towards the tiny taxi office Connor had mentioned, just a few doors down from the B&B. A bell rang out when she let herself in. It was quiet, empty. ‘Hello?’ she called out.

  She heard movement from out the back. A man appeared with greying dark hair – the same taxi driver who’d given her a lift into town from the train station when she’d arrived. He had a pair of glasses perched on his nose, a crime novel in his hands.

  ‘How can I help, luv?’ he asked her.

  ‘Is Eddie Lazell around?’

  ‘Yep, that’s me.’

  She examined his face, thinking of what Connor had told her. Once an award-winning journalist, now a taxi driver. Not that there was anything wrong with being a taxi driver, but it was quite a contrast. Had Max really snatched his career away from him?

  ‘You gave me a lift the other day?’ she said to him. ‘My name’s Estelle.’

  ‘Yes, I remember.’ He peered out behind her. ‘Afraid there’ll be no driving today, Estelle. I was going to wait it out but the rain’s just getting worse so might lock up and head home.’

  ‘Before you do,’ Estelle quickly said, ‘I was wondering if we could have a chat?’

  His brow puckered. ‘A chat? About what?’

  ‘Max Garland.’

  His face clouded over.

  ‘I hear you used to be a journalist,’ Estelle said.

  ‘Used to be,’ he said bitterly.

  ‘What happened?’

  He sighed. ‘That’s a question I’ve been asking myself a long time. Why are you so interested?’

  ‘I was fostered by the Garlands and was very close to Alice Shepherd.’

  His eyes narrowed in curiosity. ‘So you lived with Max Garland?’

  ‘Yes, as a child. But—’ She paused. ‘How can I put this? Certain things are coming to light lately that are making me see a different side to him.’

  Eddie examined her face then walked around the counter, gesturing to the two small chairs on the side. ‘Sounds like we need to sit down for this.’ They both took a seat, then Eddie turned to her. ‘Has Max done something?’

  ‘I’m not sure yet. I can’t go into detail. But if you told me what happened to you, it might help.’

  He took in a deep breath, taking off his glasses and rubbing them on his blue jumper. ‘I was working on a story, a bloody good story.’

  ‘About Max covering up the landslide risk?’

  The journalist paused, raising an eyebrow. ‘You know about that?’

  Estelle nodded. ‘I know Alice found out and came to you about it.’

  ‘That’s right,’ he said, face softening. ‘One clever girl, that. She’d even done a little diagram for me. Very determined to make sure the information got out. And I was too. So I started digging, uncovered a few things in the process.’

  ‘Like what?’

  ‘Like Max had been seen having lunch with an official from the environment agency, an official known for enjoying under-the-table bribes.’

  ‘So Max was paying pe
ople off to make the landslide risk seem less severe?’

  ‘Yep. It was turning into quite a story.’ He stopped, eyes darkening. ‘But then it all went to pot.’

  ‘You got fired.’

  ‘Came out of nowhere. The editor seemed reluctant. I knew he’d had his hand forced. Maybe he was blackmailed, I don’t know – he did have a penchant for visiting ladies of the night, if you see what I mean.’ Eddie sighed. ‘But it didn’t stop there.’

  Estelle frowned. ‘What do you mean?’

  ‘I decided to continue the investigation anyway, maybe send it off to a national. But people must have noticed I was still digging. First thing that happened was my membership was revoked from the local gym. Had been going there for years,’ he said, peering towards the glass-fronted gym across the road. ‘When I asked why, I was told I’d broken membership rules. Bullshit, of course. Then the apartment my wife and I were about to buy in the new complex owned by the Kemps falls through. Quelle surprise. I learn later Veronica Kemp had vetoed my application.’

  ‘Veronica?’

  ‘Oh yeah. This wasn’t a bulldozer operated by one person, Estelle. There were several on board this one. The worst thing was my boy being turned down for a place at the local comprehensive.’ He shook his head, eyes flashing with anger. ‘No way that was right. We lived around the corner and he was a good kid! I did some digging and guess what? The head teacher ran in the same circles as the Garlands and the Kemps. See, this wasn’t just about Max, Estelle, it was about the whole community turning against me.’

  Estelle wrapped her arms around herself, peering out into the darkness. If he was right, that the community worked together to destroy people, what did that mean for Estelle?

  What if they were all behind the threatening notes?

  ‘Life went downhill after that,’ Eddie said. ‘My kid got into all sorts of trouble when he had to go to the school on the other side of town – a rougher school. Targeting me, I could handle,’ he said. ‘But my family? Na, game over. I gave up, let the story go. And they left me alone.’

  ‘That’s awful.’

  ‘That’s Lillysands for you.’

  ‘Why are you still here?’

  He looked towards a photo that was hanging on the wall of a pretty blond woman. ‘My wife loves this place. Has family here. I tried to get her to leave. But she’d never leave her parents behind, her sister. I couldn’t ruin her life. So I stayed, behaved. And here I am,’ he said sarcastically, looking around him. ‘Running my own taxi empire.’